yarm at raventhorpe disability access policy - Yarm School

YARM AT RAVENTHORPE
DISABILITY ACCESS POLICY
Yarm at Raventhorpe School is a selective, coeducational, independent school. All pupils
must satisfy the entry criteria which are detailed in our Admissions Policy. Full details of the
School’s Admissions Policy can be found in the relevant policy documents. Pupils entering
Key Stage 2 must also have a supportive school reference. When applying for a place in the
School, or at any time when attending the School, parents are encouraged to inform us about
any special needs of their child. The School, which is fully committed to equality of
opportunity, will do all it reasonably can to address the special needs of any child in its care.
Special Needs and Disability Act, 2001
The SENDA amends part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995). It extends the rights
given to individuals and the duties imposed on organisations, to schools and LEAs in terms of
their responsibilities to deliver education. Individuals are not liable for their actions but the
‘responsible body’ (the school) is expected to ensure that the actions and behaviour of its
staff are not discriminatory.
Key Imperatives (definitions)
A person on account of his/her disability shall not be treated in a way that is less favourable
than a person who does not have a disability.
A disability is…
A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on the person’s
ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disabilities can be both seen and/or hidden.
Not all children defined under the DDA will have SEN, e.g. children with severe asthma,
arthritis or diabetes. The DDA ensures that disabled pupils are not discriminated against.
Whole school approaches aimed at inclusion are likely to best address a school’s duties under
both sets of requirements.
Less Favourable Treatment
The School can ensure that less favourable treatment could not occur by considering the
following questions :

• Could treatment be less favourable for a reason that is related to a child’s
disability?
• Could the treatment be viewed as less favourable than someone gets if the reason
for the treatment does not apply to him/her?
• Could the treatment be viewed as less favourable than can be justified?
Discrimination will occur where schools have failed to take ‘reasonable steps’ which leads to
disabled pupils or prospective pupils being placed at a ‘substantial disadvantage’.
At Yarm at Raventhorpe School, the duty of care and responsibility to take reasonable steps
applies to all staff including managers, teaching staff, learning support assistants, catering
staff, caretakers and others involved in providing or supporting learning.
EXAMPLES OF SPECIAL NEEDS WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCOMMODATED
RECENTLY
Visual Impairment
• Provision of enlarged materials and examination/assessment papers.
• Encouragement to word process.
• Provision of whiteboards and range of coloured pens.
• Good lighting.
• Ensure student is seated where he/she can see best.
• The use of coloured overlays to reduce paper glare.
• Ensure that all teachers are aware of the disability and strategies to address it.
Significant hearing loss
• Discuss issue with parents.
• Discuss with sensory service – training provision.
• Ensure child is seated close to aural stimulus.
• Ensure all teachers are aware of disability and strategies to assist.
Dyslexia
• Provide support lessons to overcome literacy problems.
• Encourage differentiated teaching methodology.
• Willingness of teachers to mark full content rather than spelling.
• Encourage the use of word processing.
• Accept work in diagrammatic form etc.
• Help with personal organisation and homework diary.
• Provide extra time in assessments/exams.
• Ensure that all teachers are aware of the disability and strategies to assist.
• Screening at Year 3 and new entrants in older year groups.

Dyspraxia
• Encourage differentiated teaching methodology.
• Accept work in word process/diagrammatic form.
• Help with organisation and homework diary.
• Provide extra time for assessment/examination.
• Encourage support from the PE Department.
Attention Deficit Disorder
• Train teachers to understand need to accommodate “poor” behaviour.
• Agreed range if discrete reminders to bring pupil back to task.
• Breaking down of tasks into small chunks.
• Rewards for staying on task.
• Help with homework diary entries
• Ensure that all teachers are aware of special needs.
Physical Difficulties
• Consider individual timetable of pupil and access to the curriculum – make any
necessary and reasonable timetable changes.
• Use of technology to assist – laptop?
• Allow extra time for circulation around school/work tasks etc.
• Ensure that teachers are aware of special need.
• Assist with pupil helper if necessary.
• Provide for special arrangements regarding personal hygiene, privacy etc as required.
If used, the School’s Health & Safety Advisor is responsible for ensuring that all pupils and
staff, where applicable, are inducted on the ‘safe use’ of crutches / walking aids in and around
school. Following a brief introduction, a completed induction form is presented to the
affected person, together with a ‘Walking aids pamphlet compiled by the NHS.
It is the responsibility of the Form Teacher to inform the H & S Advisor when a pupil arrives
in school for the first day with either crutches or walking aids. In the case of an employee, it
is their responsibility to in form the H & S Advisor.
ACCESS PLAN: 1 st APRIL 2006 to 31st MARCH 2009 and 1 st APRIL 2009 – 31st
MARCH 2012
The current site of Yarm at Raventhorpe School prevents the provision of immediate access
to all pupils with disabilities as lifts and low-level entries are not available in all buildings.
The access action plan outlined below takes this into account and presents strategies and
options for improving accessibility within existing arrangements. By its very nature, this
action plan covers both the short, medium and long term.
• Currently the ground floor of the main School building can be accessed by the
disabled in wheel chairs via the main entrance doors and the ground floor is on one
level.

• An audit of the school site has been completed by the Estates Manager and Health and
Safety Officer in consultation with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
(SENCO) (for each site) or their designated representatives.
• Any future building projects must take disability access requirements into account.
For instance, low level ramps as well as steps; widening of main doorways to allow
wheelchair access; handrails on both sides of ramps etc.
• Staff training needs should be subject to regular audit. This is especially important
when pupils with a known disability need to move through the school and encounter
staff new to them. Experience of new members of staff should be established and any
training needs addressed. Acceptance of new pupils who have disabilities into the
school will trigger the need for further staff training. This is monitored by the Head.
• Medical needs for individual pupils are collated. Photographs of pupils with severe
medical needs (e.g. anaphylaxis, epilepsy) together with a brief individual action plan
are displayed on the staff notice board. The School Nurse actions this.
• Pupils requiring Individual Education Plans (IEPs) must have these forms updated
regularly as agreed in the Special Education Needs policy and the SENCO should
keep copies of these in a file and ensure that staff who teach those pupils are fully
informed. These IEPs should clearly specify any particular resources required to
accommodate learning needs. Teaching staff are provided with a file containing
information about pupils receiving learning support.
• Teaching assistants in the Early Years follow the IEPs with individual pupils during
assembly times.
• Access to the curriculum must be provided to the best of the School’s ability. Where
timetables need to be adjusted (e.g. to provide ground level accommodation) this
should be undertaken although it is recognised that the full curriculum may not be
able to be accessed dependent upon the need and disability of the pupil.
• The School Library is not accessible without using stairs but the Library books can be
delivered via Form Teachers or pupils.
• Unexpected disabilities. The school must react to unexpected situations and do all
that is reasonable to accommodate the needs of pupils. These situations may be due to
accidents (broken leg, damaged eye etc..) or may be as a result of the onset of
debilitating illness. It would be reasonable to expect that, where possible, timetable
adjustments should be made to enable that pupil to access as much of the curriculum
as possible.
• The School is committed to working with parents and specialist agencies, such as the
RNIB to ensure that all reasonable practicable help is available.

• Special provision will be made, as far as is practicable, to allow pupils to take full
advantage of all school trips and visits. An individual risk assessment will be
prepared, as necessary.
• In Physical Education provision will be made wherever practicable for activities
within the range of the pupil so that they can develop appropriate skills and strengths.
This must not be at the expense of denying opportunities to other pupils.
ROLE OF THE GOVERNING BODY AND THE HEAD
It is the duty of the Head to delegate or assume responsibility to ensure that the Disability
Access Policy is applied and monitored. The Head should be aware at all times when
making decisions regarding school premises of the requirements of the Disability Access
Policy and ensure that due regard is paid to it. The Head should also make any necessary
recommendations to the Governing Body relating to the Policy and provision for its
implementation.
This Policy should be reviewed every two years by the Head and relevant information and
implications/needs shared with the, Headmaster, School Nurse, Health and Safety
Officer, Estates Manager and SENCOs.
POLICY DATE : SEPTEMBER 2007
Reviewed : August 2008
Revised : June 2009
Reviewed: January 2010